This invention relates generally to fuel injector assembly on cylinder heads in internal combustion engines. More particularly, this invention relates to injector clamps that securely fasten fuel injectors to the cylinder head in a diesel engine.
The assembly of fuel injectors onto a cylinder head and the use of certain types of injector hold down clamps to set the injector into the cylinder head is well known. Existing devices used to hold down or secure a fuel injectors to cylinder heads are many times impractical since they tend to be bulky and thereby add to the crowding of components on the limited space on a cylinder head. Also, during disassembly or removal of the fuel injector from the cylinder head, the use of prior art clamps typically requires that the fuel injector be pried from its position in the cylinder head with some prying tool. Prying the fuel injector from the cylinder head many times results in a damaged injector. Further, since the space around the fuel injector in the cylinder head is very limited greater difficulty is encountered in prying out, e.g., via some sort of lever, the fuel injector from the cylinder head.
Accordingly, there is a need for an injector hold down clamp that will allow for removal or disassembly of the fuel injector from the cylinder head without the need to pry the fuel injector from the cylinder head.
The present invention provides a compact injector hold down clamp assembly that allows for the disassembly of the fuel injector from a cylinder head without the need pry the fuel injector from the cylinder head during disassembly. The hold down clamp assembly also allows for easy assembly of the fuel injector to the cylinder head in the limited space on the cylinder head.
The injector hold down clamp assembly of the present invention is used with a cylinder head in an internal combustion engine and comprises a clamp having a fastener channel and a retainer ring bore, a fastener that is operatively inserted in the fastener channel and has a fastener ring section, and a retaining ring that is operatively attached to the fastener retainer ring section. In this manner the retaining ring acts on the retainer ring bore during disassembly and thereby allows the fuel injector and injector hold down clamp assembly to be removed simultaneously as a unit. The retaining ring is preferably a partial ring or toroid that extends about 230 degrees. The injector clamp further comprises rear clamp seat and a first and second a clamp arm that will engage the fuel injector. The first and second clamp arms each further have a clamp hook that together cooperatively engage an injector retaining wire.
The following drawings and description set forth additional advantages and benefits of the invention. More advantages and benefits are obvious from the description and may be learned by practice of the invention.